WHERE DID PICKLEBALL GET ITS NAME? THE HISTORY OF PICKLEBALL The true origin of the name goes back to the very creation of the game itself. Pickleball was invented in 1965 by Joel Pritchard and Bill Bell, who, at the time, wanted to come up with an activity that the whole family could enjoy using game components they already had available. This included a badminton court, ping pong paddles, and a whiffle ball. Joel’s wife Joan had been a competitive rower in the past, and was familiar with the t